


Working at Bertinelli's

by Dreamshaper



Category: Birds of Prey (And the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) (2020)
Genre: AU, Chef Helena, F/F, Waitress Dinah, and this is what happens when I watch too much Gordon Ramsay stuff during quiet time at work, no crime, no powers, this is a lot of fluff, who likes her anyway, with a temper
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-16
Updated: 2020-08-30
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:47:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 20,721
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25916818
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamshaper/pseuds/Dreamshaper
Summary: Dinah starts working at fine dining restaurant Bertinelli's after quitting her previous job. She quickly learns that the head chef has quite the temper, but that doesn't stop her from being interested in the woman.
Relationships: Helena Bertinelli/Dinah Lance
Comments: 213
Kudos: 168





	1. Interview

**Author's Note:**

> Whenever work is quiet, I watch stuff on YouTube. I've watched quite a lot of Hell's Kitchen and Kitchen Nightmares, and with my brain being what it is, all that Gordon Ramsay led to this. I hope you'll enjoy it, I had fun writing it :D

“I’m nervous”, Dinah declares, making a face as she checks herself over in the mirror yet again, even though her mother has reassured her a dozen times at this point that she looks amazing, “what if I mess this up?”

“You won’t, come on”, her mother reassures her, something she has said almost a dozen times, as well, “why would you? You have the experience, you’re good at it, you’re charming and professional, you bring everything they want.”

“Except actual experience in fine dining”, Dinah points out, and her mother just shrugs, they have talked about this a lot and have gone through the same conversation in different variations; Dinah sighs and checks herself over once more, and her mother shakes her head, stepping up to her and grasping her shoulders, practically spinning her around so Dinah ends up facing her.

“Dinah”, she says in a strict tone, “stop. You’ll do fine, you’ll get the job. And even if you don’t, for whatever reason, it’ll be fine. You’ll find something else. Just go there, be yourself, show them that you’re good at it, and it’ll be okay.”

“Okay”, Dinah bravely nods, “yeah, it’ll be okay, you’re right. Okay, I better get moving, or I’ll be late.”

“Call me once you’re done”, her mother instructs, and Dinah nods again, then grabs her keys and heads out; she’s been unemployed for two weeks, after having quit her job at the Black Mask club when the owner has been handsy with her one too many times, and after worrying and reading through the job ads every day, she finally has landed an interview, nervous again as she makes her way to her car.

At least, she’s left early enough despite her worries that she has more than enough time to get to the restaurant; as expected, it’s in the nicer part of town, her car sticks out like a sore thumb, but she ignores the way the people she passes look at it, parking close to the restaurant, and taking one final look in the mirror before she gets out of the car.

Taking in a deep breath, she straightens her clothes, the most business style clothing she has found in her closet, so different from what she normally wears; she feels a bit as if she is wearing a costume, but she figures she can’t show up to an interview in a place like this in flashy clothing.

The restaurant is fairly unobtrusive, but Dinah has done her research, and knows it has been around for decades; the sign above the door is neither lit up, nor in flashy neon colours, just black lettering, the elegant cursive  _ Bertinelli’s _ easy to miss when walking past the building.

After another deep breath, Dinah reminds herself of her mother’s encouraging words, then pushes the door open and steps inside; the restaurant is quiet, no guests there yet, but she figures they’ll be busier in the evening, and as she walks towards the bar, where a young man is standing, she hears noise from what she assumes is the kitchen, clattering pots and pans, preparations for the evening rush.

The guy at the bar stands with his back to her, sorting glasses from the dishwasher into the shelves; Dinah clears her throat, and he turns to look at her, momentarily looking surprised, then smiling, apparently knowing why she is here before she even says anything.

“Hi”, she still says, smiling a hopefully charming smile at him, he seems to be a bit young to run this place, but the restaurant has been owned by the same family ever since it has opened, and she figures he’s part of that, “I’m Dinah Lance, I’m here for the job interview?”

“Oh, yes, hello”, he says, holding out his hand, his next words confirming her suspicions that he is part of the family, “Pino Bertinelli, nice to meet you.”

“Likewise”, Dinah replies with another smile, nodding when he asks her to follow her; he takes a moment to grab a folder from behind the bar, then leads the way to one of the tables, to her slight surprise, she halfway has expected him to take her to an office or some other, more secluded room.

“Alright”, he says as he sits down and opens his folder, and Dinah sees it holds her CV, Pino scanning it quickly before he looks up at her again, “this looks good, which is why we’ve invited you, but you’ve never worked in a restaurant like this before, yes?”

“Not exactly, no”, Dinah confirms, something he already knows anyway, “but I do know how to work a bar and I’ve worked as a waitress, too, so I know the basics. I’m a fast learner, too, so--”

A loud clatter from the kitchen interrupts her, it sounds like someone has dropped a pot, and a moment later, an angry bellow can be heard from the general direction the noise has come from, Pino making a face while Dinah raises her brows in surprise.

“Are you insane”, a female voice shouts, the volume impressing Dinah, but then, she has seen her share of choleric chefs, and she figures this one is no different, “pay attention, oh my fucking God!”

“Helena, keep it down!” Pino shouts, drowning out a possible answer of whoever has been the target for this anger, “I’m interviewing out here, jeez!”

There’s no response, but that seems to be enough for Pino; he clears his throat, then smiles apologetically at Dinah, who tries to hide her amusement, not wanting to appear as if she is laughing about the anger of that Helena person.

“Sorry about that”, Pino says, Dinah shrugging to signal it’s okay, “my sister. She’s our head chef, and like many great chefs, she has a bit of a temper whenever she’s in the kitchen. Anyway… We can sit here and talk for an hour, or we can just find out if you’re suited for this sort of work. You free tonight for a trial shift?”

“Sure”, Dinah agrees at once, figuring that the man is right, she can sing her own praises for an hour, but he won’t know how much of it is true until he actually sees her work, “bar or waitressing or both?”

“Waitressing”, Pino says at once, “I usually man the bar, we’d only need you to help out there when I’m not around, which is not often. Great, I’ll get you a uniform and show you the ropes, the POS system isn’t difficult to learn, I’ll show you.”

“Alright”, Dinah nods, this is all happening a bit fast and is a bit surprising, but then, she figures they need someone fast, it is one of the most visited fine dining restaurants in Gotham, and she’s glad for the chance to show that she can do this and will do a good job.

Pino gets up from his chair and once again asks her to follow him so they can get her a uniform, and she nods again as she comes to her feet as well; and as Pino leads the way, she hears another angry shout from the kitchen, now smiling to herself after all when Pino lets out a sigh, appearing much less easy to anger than his apparently short-tempered sister.

“Just so you know”, he says as they walk to the far back of the restaurant, “Helena yells at everyone when she works. Don’t take it personal when she yells at you.”

Dinah just nods, wondering if this has been the reason why they need a new waitress in the first place, but knowing better than to ask; Pino gives her another smile, then starts talking business again, Dinah listening and nodding along, quite sure by now that the job will be hers if she doesn’t mess up during the trial shift.


	2. First Shift

The restaurant is still empty and quiet when Pino shows Dinah how to use the POS system and tells her the evening’s specials, and she has a moment to text her mother and let her know about the trial shift; then, at six o’clock, the place suddenly fills up, and fills up fast, and all at once, Dinah is quite busy, she’s been given a bunch of tables and they are all full from one minute to the next.

She’s aware that Pino is watching her as she works, recommends the specials to the guests and takes drink and food orders; he seems to be satisfied with her work, and even though she never has worked at such a place before, she figures she is doing okay, there are no weird looks and nobody seems annoyed with how she does the work.

The first food she actually serves is some sort of fancy version of minestrone, and she takes note of how good it smells as she brings it to the table; and the main courses look and smell even better, Dinah sincerely hoping that her stomach won’t start rumbling as she serves plate after plate.

Every now and then, Helena can be heard shouting from the kitchen, with rather harsh language, too, but apparently, everyone who visits this place is used to it, as Dinah doesn’t notice any sort of reaction from the guests; and judging from the obvious gusto with which everyone eats, the food is as delicious as it looks and smells, Dinah figuring that the chef’s bad temper is easily forgiven thanks to the quality of what she produces.

She’s kept quite busy for almost two hours, serving soups and main courses and desserts which look just as appetizing as the other meals she has brought to the tables; then, the rush slows down, a few later eaters are still there, but the bulk of customers pays and heads out, tipping well, Dinah notes, and once the place has quieted down a bit again, Pino calls her to the bar.

“You did very well”, he tells her, apparently not one for beating around the bush, “if you want the job, it’s yours.”

“Great”, Dinah says at once, trying to hide her relief, he seems nice enough, but might still try to haggle about the salary when he gets the feeling she doesn’t just want the job, but needs it, “and yeah, of course I want it.”

“Awesome”, Pino says with a happy smile, “we can really use another helping hand around here, you’ve seen how full it gets for dinner time. Come by tomorrow at four, then we can set up the contract, talk details and get you started?”

Dinah nods, now allowing herself a smile of her own, as Pino seems quite happy about her performance and the fact that she wants the job; they shake hands, then Pino surprises her by handing her the tips she’s made that evening, only convincing her further that it’s a good idea to start working there.

They shake hands once she has pocketed the money, and then Dinah heads out, feeling good and confident now that she’s got the job; she smiles to herself as she gets into her car, looking forward to the next day, certain that things will only get better for her mother and her from here on out.

* * *

In the next afternoon, Dinah shows up punctually at four, and Pino is already there, waiting for her; the contract he presents her with is better than she has dared to hope, a decent salary which will only be made better by the tips and healthcare, too, and she’s more than happy to sign it, Pino telling her more about the daily business as he hands her two uniforms, the black slacks and vest with the white button-up shirt quite fitting for a fine dining place as this one.

Once she has changed into one of them and has carefully packed the spare one, Pino tells her he’ll introduce her to the kitchen staff now; he leads the way, Dinah trailing along behind him, impressed when they do step into the kitchen, it’s big and shiny and very clean, and she has no idea what half the utensils she can see are for.

There’s several people at work already in preparation for the dinner rush, cutting vegetables and peeling potatoes and making pasta; they are all dressed in white, Dinah notes, except for one woman who’s wearing black, and she figures that has to be the head chef, before Pino actually speaks up and confirms this.

“The lady in black is Helena, my sister, our head chef”, he tells her, Dinah nodding along, “these guys are Sal, Massimo and Luca, the poor sods who get yelled at by her all day long. Helena, this is Dinah, our new waitress.”

“I never yell at them for no reason”, Helena tells him as the three men snicker, wiping her hands off on a towel before she walks to where Pino and Dinah are standing, “Helena Bertinelli. Nice to meet you.”

“Likewise”, Dinah says as she shakes her hand, noting that Helena’s voice actually is quite pleasant to listen to when she’s not yelling angrily at someone; and she looks good, as well, tall and in good shape, her handshake firm but not bone-crushing, the slight smile she gives Dinah a stark contrast to the yelling she has heard from her the day before.

“She always claims that she doesn’t yell without reason”, Pino throws in, Dinah finding herself smiling at the  _ look _ Helena shoots him for that, “but like I said, she yells at everyone when she cooks. So don’t take it personal.”

“Don’t scare the poor girl off on her first day”, one of the three other cooks throws in, grinning when Helena’s glare moves on to him in response, “but yeah, Pino’s right, Helena has a short temper when working.”

“Are we done discussing my temper”, Helena wants to know, frowning, and Dinah wonders if said temper is about to make an appearance, “and can we get back to work? Pino, Luca managed to score some fresh salmon, so that will be our special for the evening.”

She starts rattling off details about how that salmon will be prepared and served, and what else they will offer for the evening, Dinah trying hard to remember it all; she finds herself a bit distracted by Helena herself though, when she has heard her yell, she hasn’t been very impressed, but now, as Helena talks in a somewhat calm and professional manner, even though she gestures with her hands a lot, she’s quite fascinated, and all too aware of how attractive the woman actually is.

So, as Helena talks, Dinah looks a bit closer than perhaps appropriate, taking in the sharp lines of her face, and realizes she likes listening to her, her voice really is quite pleasant when she’s not shouting, somewhat deep for a woman, and a bit gravelly - probably from all the yelling - and when Helena gets done explaining, Dinah feels almost regretful.

“No worries”, Pino whispers to her as they leave the kitchen again and the cooks get back to work, and it doesn’t take long until Dinah hears Helena yell about something again, “Helena loves talking about the dishes they’ll make, at length, you guys will get a shorter, easier to remember version.”

“Thank God”, Dinah sighs, Pino grinning at her in response, and after a moment, she smiles back at him, once again glad that she’s got the job and quite certain that things will work out just fine for her here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay for Dinah getting the job. XD


	3. Perks of Bertinelli's

Once again, Dinah is kept busy through dinner service, having more tables as it’s her first official shift and quite a bit to do; the guests are tipping well again though, and to her relief, she has memorized the shorter and easier list of specials Pino has recited to the wait staff, recommending them to the guests and feeling more secure about it each time she does so.

By the time the flood of guests slows down again, Dinah feels somewhat tired, but knows her shift isn’t quite over yet; one of the other waitresses, a girl her age named Barbara, tells her that she’ll get used to it, and Dinah smiles as she nods, still glad though when most of her tables empty and she has a few minutes of reprieve.

After the first rush, the tables don’t fill up completely anymore, either, and while Dinah is kept busy enough to not get bored, it’s far from the stress of dinner rush; and soon, only a few stragglers are left, all her tables are empty, and Pino calls her to the bar, smiling to show she’s not in trouble when she approaches him.

“Good job, again”, he tells her instead of reprimanding her for anything, to her slight relief, “now, let me show you one of the perks of working for Bertinelli’s, come with me.”

Curious, Dinah follows him as he leads the way to the kitchen, after having asked Barbara to take over Dinah’s tables for a bit; and once at the kitchen, Dinah finds herself somewhat surprised when he lets her know she can have some of the pasta, there’s quite a bit left, Pino tells her, and they usually let their staff help themselves, to avoid throwing out perfectly good food.

“Also, it’s easier to recommend food when you know what it tastes like”, he adds as he fills a plate for her, “we always tend to make more than necessary, I think most of our staff hasn’t eaten dinner at home for years. Here, try this.”

He hands her the plate and a fork, and Dinah does try the food, her eyes going wide a moment later; it looks fairly unimpressive, just noodles with tomato-vegetable sauce, but it tastes better than any pasta she’s had in her life, Pino grinning at her reaction while Helena, Dinah notices, is watching her quite closely, clearly curious what she has to say about the food.

“Oh my God, this is delicious”, Dinah says once she has swallowed, “I’ve never had a sauce this good, holy crap.”

Pino’s grin widens while Helena smiles a bit as well, turning back to her work though before Dinah can get a closer look at her; she’s quickly distracted from the head chef by the food though, forcing herself to not shovel it into her mouth with record speed, not an easy task, considering how good it is.

“Take some home, if you like”, Pino offers as she eats, perhaps still a bit faster than would have been polite, but it’s just so good, “you live with your mother, yes? She’d like some too maybe?”

“For sure”, Dinah nods, surprised again, quite sure that this is not standard for fine dining places, “wow, that’s really nice of you guys.”

“We hate throwing food out”, Helena comments matter of factly from the sink where she is scrubbing pots and pans, Dinah once again surprised as she has been somewhat sure the head chef wouldn’t do this herself, but then, the other three are cleaning, as well, so she figures it’s a joint effort, “take as much as you want.”

Dinah nods her agreement to that, then says “thank you”, earning another brief smile from the taller woman; she finishes her plate, and Pino fills up a take away box for her which wanders into the fridge until the end of her shift.

Once she has finished eating, she goes back to work and Barbara has her break, there’s a few guests left drinking wine and talking; and when it’s time to close up and go home, Dinah is surprised to not only find the pasta waiting for her in the fridge, but leftover dessert, as well, Pino reassuring her it’s for her when she gives him a questioning look.

“Good thing I walk around much during work”, she comments as she carefully packs the food, not wanting anything to spill, “or I’d gain quite a bit of weight if you guys make a habit of this.”

The guys laugh at that and Helena smiles a bit, too; and as Dinah leaves the restaurant and heads home, she once again feels good and content about this job, they’re paying well and she’ll save money too if she gets to bring food home regularly, the amazing taste just an extra bonus.

She’s really eager to get home and try that dessert, curious if it will be as amazing as the main course she’s eaten.

* * *

During the next few evenings, Dinah begins to gain routine in her new job, proving that she is indeed a fast learner, to the clear satisfaction of Pino; and she brings food home every evening and eats at the restaurant during her break, amazed all over again every evening at the food, she’s figured it would taste good, considering the prices on the menu and considering how full the place is each night, but she never would have thought it’d be so delicious.

She can tell that the rest of the staff enjoys the food as much as she herself does, even though they all appear to be in good shape, but then, they are on their feet all evening long, like Dinah herself is; then, one evening, Franco Bertinelli comes by, Dinah knows he has been head chef before Helena has taken over as her father has begun focusing more on the administrative side of business, and he’s such a walking cliché that Dinah for a moment finds it hard to believe he’s real.

He’s tall, like his children, but quite round, lugging around a massive belly which shows that he loves eating food as much as cooking it; and he has a mustache so impressive that Dinah finds it hard to look away from it, having to struggle to look him in the eye when he greets her in a booming voice instead of staring at his beard, his volume telling her from which side of the family Helena has inherited her own fairly impressive voice. 

“I hear you’re our newest employee”, he declares, still louder than strictly necessary, but Dinah finds it quite charming instead of maybe annoying or weird, “welcome to Bertinelli’s, how do you like it?”

“It’s great”, Dinah honestly tells him, making him smile widely, “everyone’s very nice and welcoming, and the food is delicious.”

“Everything my Helena makes is delicious”, Franco tells her, making her smile at his obvious pride in his daughter, “and good you like it! You could need a bit more meat on your bones!”

“Dad!” Helena shouts from the kitchen, poking her head out to stare at him, the mortified look on her face making Dinah laugh, “how many times do we have to tell you, stop saying that to people! Dinah, I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay”, Dinah reassures her, and she looks relieved, “one of my high school classmates was half Italian, his grandma kept saying the same thing.”

“A wise woman”, Franco solemnly says, making Dinah laugh again while Helena rolls her eyes, but retreats to the kitchen; Franco gives Dinah another wide grin, then excuses himself and moves on to greet some of the regulars, Dinah still smiling to herself as she gets back to work.

The Bertinelli family seems a bit chaotic as a whole, she ponders, but she can tell already they are good people, and she’s once again glad to be working for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now I want fancy Italian food, too. XD


	4. Salty

Another few days have gone by since Franco’s visit to the restaurant, and Dinah has gained more routine during those days, by now working as if she’s been there for years; as she learns that evening though, there are some things she hasn’t experienced there yet, one of them being someone sending his food back.

The guy who does so is the sort of man Dinah would have expected to do exactly that, a snobbish white guy who probably works in consulting, she sourly thinks to herself as he complains to her that the sauce is too salty and can’t be eaten; she smiles politely at him as she tells him she is sorry for that, then takes the plate and carries it to the kitchen, taking note of Pino’s look of surprise as she does so, clearly, food isn’t sent back often at this place.

The moment she steps into the kitchen with the plate, Helena makes a beeline for her, and Dinah is fairly certain this will be the first time the woman is going to yell at her, she hasn’t been at the receiving end of Helena’s ire so far, but she looks angry now.

“What’s this about”, she demands to know, still in a normal tone of voice, to Dinah’s slight relief, she has been told to not take it personal when Helena yells at her, but she still doesn’t need to experience it, “I think we haven’t had food sent back in years!”

“He says it’s too salty”, Dinah tells her, and if there had been real life sound effects, she’s fairly certain thunder would have rolled at the look Helena gets on her face; the other cooks move closer as well, curious what is going on, and watch how Helena dips a finger into the sauce, then licks it, grumbling as she shakes her head.

“It’s perfect”, she declares, prompting the other cooks to taste it too and to nod their agreement, “guy is either trying to stir up trouble or tries to score a free meal. Whatever, I’ll make him another plate with exactly the same food, Dinah you tell him it’s on the house and I bet you ten bucks he’ll eat it with no complaint.”

“Okay”, Dinah agrees, still a bit surprised she hasn’t gotten yelled at, but then, the restaurant can easily afford giving one meal away for free; Helena is quick to fix a new plate for the complaining guy, using the exact same stuff which has been on the first one, and Dinah goes to serve it, having to work quite hard when he tastes it and declares that this is much better.

“Do me a favour, sweetheart”, he then says, Dinah bristling a bit at the nickname, “get me the head chef, yes, I want to tell him about this improvement.”

“Her”, Dinah corrects him, from the corner of her eye noting how Pino briefly rests his face in his hands, “but sure, I’ll gladly get her for you.”

She walks back to the kitchen, halfway prepared to be yelled at now, and Helena does look a bit impatient when Dinah enters again; she raises her brows questioningly, and Dinah quickly explains, Helena rolling her eyes once she is done.

“Fine”, she then says, the three guys snickering behind her as she tosses the knife she’d been using aside in annoyance, “let’s see what Mister Gourmet out there has to say.”

Curious now, Dinah follows her out of the kitchen, Pino looks worried now, she notices, but he makes no move to stop his sister, and once Dinah has mumbled the table number of the man in question to her, she walks straight to him, the guy eying her as she stops next to his table.

“You’re head chef?” he asks, Dinah remaining nearby so she can hear what Helena will say, quite curious how this will play out, “you seem a bit young, no?”

“I am”, Helena confirms, apparently trying to sound friendly, and the guy seems to buy it, as he smiles, “Helena Bertinelli. You wanted to speak to me?”

“Yes”, he declares, nodding for emphasis, “you see, I had to send the first plate of this back, very sad. But this second attempt is much better! Whatever you changed, you might want to keep that in mind, and I’m fairly certain this help from me warrants a free meal, doesn’t it.”

“I changed nothing, you absolute buffoon”, Helena snaps, and just like that, her patience is gone as she glares at the clearly surprised man, “it’s the exact same dish you had the first time! Now get out of my restaurant, try to cheat your way to a free meal somewhere else.”

“You can’t talk to me that way”, he protests at once, and Pino sighs behind Dinah, but still makes no move to stop Helena, “do you know who I am?!”

“I don’t give a shit who you are”, Helena tells him, voice rising a bit, but she’s not yelling, not yet, “but I know I want out of the restaurant,  _ now. _ ”

He gapes at her, and she crosses her arms over her chest, glaring back at him; and after a moment, he pushes his chair back and comes to his feet, face flaming red as he hurries out the door.

“Idiot”, Helena grumbles, then becomes aware that the other guests are all looking at her; she clears her throat, grabs the plate the guy has left behind and hurries back to the kitchen, Pino smirking to himself now, clearly happy with how the whole situation has worked out.

“That was fairly tame”, he tells Dinah as she goes to pick up a drink order, “the last time a guy complained about the food, she dumped the plate onto his head.”

“What”, Dinah says with a small laugh, “you’re kidding, right?”

“Nope”, Pino reassures her with a shake of his head, “it was pasta, the spaghetti hung down his head like some weird wig. You should have seen his face.”

“Man, I would have loved to”, Dinah says with another laugh, making him grin and nod; she’s still smiling when she goes to serve the drinks, the mental image of what Pino has described popping back into her mind as she keeps working, until the end of business hours, when they all gather in the kitchen for food and a drink.

“I can’t believe that guy who sent the food back”, Sal declares as he pours them all some wine, shaking his head, “this place is famous for serving high quality, every day, and he thinks he can get away with that?”

“He was lucky he didn’t end up wearing that plate as a hat”, Pino laughs, and Helena colours, hiding behind her glass of wine, “you were fairly tame with him Helena, only calling him a buffoon and throwing him out.”

“Too salty”, Helena grumbles, her embarrassment fading as she gets annoyed at the audacity again, “I should have dumped that plate onto him, if he ever comes back, I will.”

“Doubt he will show up again”, Dinah comments, taking a sip of her own drink before she goes on, “he looked like he’s about to cry when he left. That is delicious by the way, very good.”

It’s the dish the guy has sent back for no reason, and clearly, Helena is happy about the praise; the smile she gives Dinah is almost shy, and Dinah notices how Pino raises his eyebrows, but he doesn’t say anything, and after a moment, she shrugs this oddness off and focuses on her food again, unaware of Helena’s gaze straying to her every now and then as they all sit together, the chef quickly looking away each time before Dinah has a chance to notice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How kind of Helena to not yell at Dinah for this. x)


	5. Cleaning

“We’re ducking out early today”, Sal announces one evening as he chops vegetables, “we got tickets for the game. I promise we won’t make too much of a mess.”

“If you do, I’ll just leave it and you guys can clean it up tomorrow”, Helena threatens, but all three know she’s not serious; they still try hard to not leave too much which has to be cleaned though, not an easy task as the restaurant is once again full. 

While she does have a temper when working, Helena doesn’t let the stress get to her though, methodically working her way through the tickets and sending food out to the guests quickly; and as usual, nothing gets sent back, and there are no complaints, the guy she’s kicked out the other day has been a rare exception, she still gets annoyed when she thinks of him and his unjustified complaint.

They get through the dinner rush without any dramas - there was that one night a few months ago, Helena remembers, when one of the pans has caught fire, to this day she doesn’t know who’s fault it has been, she suspects Luca, but has never been able to prove it - and the moment the last guest of the dinner rush is out the door, so are Luca, Sal and Massimo, off to watch their game.

Helena knows a few more people might show up, but she figures she can handle them on her own, she’s done it before; there are a few more guests, but nothing she can’t deal with, and quite soon, it’s almost closing time again, and she gets ready to clean up the kitchen, not a glorious task, but one she does with the same concentration and dedication she cooks with.

“Hey”, Dinah’s voice comes up behind her just as she starts scrubbing a pan, prompting her to briefly glance at the other woman, “heard the guys ducked out early today, you need some help?”

“Yeah that would be nice”, Helena admits, it is quite a bit of work and she won’t mind getting done faster, “but you know you don’t have to do that, right?”

“I know, but I want to”, Dinah tells her, already pulling off her vest and rolling up her sleeves, “least I can do after all the food you guys always send me home with. Honestly, how do you stay so fit eating like that all the time?”

“Oh, I work out”, Helena lets her know, while Dinah moves to her side and grabs a sponge of her own, soon scrubbing away at pots and pans with a fervour to match Helena’s, “Pino says all I do is work out and cook, but that’s not fully true. I also read.”

“What’s your favourite book”, Dinah wants to know, raising an eyebrow when Helena shrugs, then tells her she likes too many to choose just one; she rattles off a list of her favourite authors instead, and Dinah is happy to realize they share a few, something she points out to the chef, and as they keep cleaning the kitchen together, they talk books, moving on to movies and music from there, the conversation flowing easily and making time go faster as they do their cleaning work.

“Almost done”, Helena says as she wipes down the last surface which needs wiping, “thanks for your help, it was really… helpful.”

She grimaces at her own choice of words, but thankfully, Dinah is either kind enough or too polite to say anything; she just smiles and tells her no problem, Helena pausing for a moment before she moves to the freezer, Dinah curiously watching how she opens it and digs around inside it.

“Here”, she says, pulling out a container and finding a teaspoon in one of the many drawers, “try this, I’ve tried something new, it’s basil ice cream, and whenever I let my family try something, they say it’s awesome. I’m not sure it works though.”

“Basil ice cream”, Dinah repeats, raising her brows, Helena nodding as Dinah takes the spoon, “interesting, I’ve never heard of that before.”

She spoons some of the ice cream into her mouth, Helena watching her curiously and maybe a bit anxiously; Dinah raises her eyebrows again as she tastes it, then nods, smiling at Helena and making her smile as well by digging the spoon into the container again.

“This is very good”, she lets the chef know, helping herself to a third spoonful, “honest, I was a bit sceptical when you said basil ice cream, but I think it works. Say, is there anything you can’t make in the kitchen?”

“I’m not very good with cakes”, Helena admits while she closes the container again - after Dinah has managed to get a fourth spoonful, “Massimo usually makes those, he’s better at it than I am. But the rest… yeah, I’m fairly good at the other stuff.”

“Fairly good”, Dinah repeats, smirking a bit now, “that’s an understatement, so far, everything I’ve eaten here has been great. My mom agrees by the way, she complains that she’s started to gain weight since I’ve started to work here.”

“Oh, your mom should drop by some time”, Helena tells her in response, “not to say that the food isn’t good when warmed up, but it is better when fresh out of the kitchen. Also, she can order what she wants then, instead of getting the leftovers.”

“Yeah, I’ll tell her”, Dinah nods at once, a month ago, she would have worried about the price, but she’s being paid well, and the tips are good, too, so she can figures she can treat her mom to an evening here, “maybe when I got my next evening off, so we can eat here together.”

Helena nods at that, clearly liking the idea, even though Dinah isn’t sure why she would care if she brings her mother here or not; on the other hand, she can tell that the Bertinelli family is close, so it makes sense for Helena to want to do something nice for Dinah and her mother, the thought making Dinah smile slightly again as well.

“Well, we’re done here for today”, Helena says after a few seconds have ticked by in silence, unbuttoning her black jacket and shrugging it off, Dinah pleasantly surprised to see she wears a sleeveless shirt beneath it, and one look is enough to tell her that Helena hasn’t lied when she’s said she works out, “I’ll walk you to your car?”

Dinah nods, appreciating the gesture and the fact that this will give her a few more moments to appreciate Helena’s build; they walk side by side, Pino still busy behind the bar and waving at them as they walk past, Helena holding the door open for Dinah before she follows her outside.

“Have a good evening”, Dinah says once they have reached her car, pulling her keys from her bag, “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Helena nods and gives her another smile, then remains standing on the sidewalk as Dinah gets into the car and drives off; and through her rearview mirror, she can see Helena stay where she is until she’s out of sight, watching her leave, and the knowledge that Helena has done so makes her feel quite warm and tingly inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Helpful Dinah is helpful :D


	6. Good Deeds

Dinah is early in the next day, having half an hour before her shift starts, and as she feels oddly drawn to Helena, she goes to the kitchen after changing into her uniform to see how the chef is doing; Helena is already hard at work, and Dinah stops near the door, not wanting to disturb her or the other cooks, and just takes a minute to watch her.

Helena is busy cutting vegetables for the main course, and Dinah finds is quite fascinating how fast and precise she works; the  _ rat-tat-tat-tat  _ of her knife on the cutting board sounds like it’s caused by a machine gun, and even from where she stands a few feet away, Dinah can see that the pieces she cuts are perfectly even and all the same size.

She gets done with her part of the work and raises her voice as she calls out to the other three to ask how far they are; and when she turns at their responses, her eyes meet Dinah’s, apparently only realizing now that Dinah is there and is watching them.

“Hey Dinah”, she calls out to her, the other three looking at her with equal surprise, Dinah a bit amused at how focused they all have been, not even having noticed her watching, “come here for a moment, please?”

Dinah moves to where Helena is standing in response, aware of the other three watching how the head chef finds a spoon and dips it into the soup bubbling away on the large stove; she warns Dinah that it’s hot, then carefully hands it to her and asks her to taste it, Dinah taking note of the three guys exchanging surprised looks, and finding herself wondering if this is an unusual thing to happen.

She takes a moment to blow onto the spoon, not wanting to burn her mouth, then tastes the soup, unable to hold back a little pleased noise at the taste; she has never been a big fan of soup, mostly having eaten chicken soup when she’s been sick and none other, but this creamy concoction is amazing, the taste of garlic flooding her mouth, clearly discernible, but not so strong it would have been obnoxious.

“Wow”, she lets out, licking her lips and smiling when Helena beams at her, clearly happy at her reaction, “this tastes great, is it selfish to hope for leftovers so I’ll get more of this?”

Helena grins and shrugs, then seems to remember that she has work to do and clears her throat, excusing herself as she grabs her knife again; Dinah, still aware of the guys watching her, tells her she’ll see her later then, hopefully not when someone is sending food back though, and heads out again, still having a few minutes left before her shift begins.

She uses that time to gulp down a glass of water, knowing she probably won’t have a chance to do so during dinner rush; and just when she has emptied it and puts it into the dishwasher behind the bar, the first guests start to arrive, and she goes to greet them and take their orders.

Once again, the place fills up quickly, and she’s a bit amazed at how many guests the restaurant has every single evening; on the other hand, she’s experienced first hand how delicious the food is, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that people are eager to get a table and have a meal.

Time flies as Dinah takes orders, serves drinks and food; and thankfully, no one sends anything back this time, and whenever she asks people if they have enjoyed their food, they let her know that they did so, and even though she’s had no part in cooking any of it, she feels happy for Helena at the praise.

They get through the dinner rush without much incident, even though Helena can be heard shouting from the kitchen once, in angry Italian this time; Pino makes a face at this, whispering to Dinah that she must be extra pissed if she forgets her English when Dinah goes to pick up drinks for one of her tables, but apparently, it hasn’t lasted long, as there is no more yelling after that brief outburst.

By now, Dinah finds Helena’s shouting more amusing than anything though, perhaps, she ponders as she serves drinks, this is made easier by the fact that so far, she hasn’t been the target of the shouting even once; and she’s quite sure that, if Helena ever does shout at her, it won’t bother her much, she has learned by now that Helena is fast to yell, but also calms down quickly again, as well.

As her shift starts nearing its end, Dinah finds herself looking forward to late dinner with the others, and once again hopes that there’s some leftover soup; and once the steady flow of customers has slowed down to a small trickle which can be handled by two waiters instead of the usual three, Pino waves her into the kitchen, Dinah being the first to get her share of leftover food that night.

There truly is some soup left over, and Helena fills a cup for her, Dinah a bit amused when she smiles at her in thanks and she takes note of the taller woman’s cheeks reddening; she turns away quickly again though to hide her face, and busies herself with fixing a plate of the main course for Dinah, her mouth watering at the smell even as she’s still busy eating the soup.

Thus, she eats the soup a bit faster than it might have been polite or proper, but Helena doesn’t seem to mind, smiling a bit as she hands her the next plate; she’s a bit apologetic when she says there’s no dessert tonight, but Dinah reassures her it’s okay, figuring she’ll be full anyway after soup and main course.

She focuses on her food, and as she does so, Helena moves to the fridge and, to Dinah’s surprise and slight confusion, starts filling up one take away container after the other, meticulously lining them up on the table next the fridge; there’s way more than there are people there right now, plastic cups of soup and plastic bowls with pasta and sauce, but no one else seems to find this strange, and so, Dinah doesn’t comment on it either, even though she is curious.

Helena pauses a moment to count the containers she has readied, the nods to herself and starts carefully packing them in two large paper bags; and just when she gets done, there’s a timid knock from the kitchen’s back door, Dinah watching with open curiousness now how Pino goes to open, Helena right behind him with her bags.

There’s a young girl at the door, Dinah sees from where is sitting, perhaps thirteen or fourteen; she appears as timid as her knock has been, but smiles when Pino greets her and Helena hands the bags to her.

“Thank you”, the kid says as she accepts the bags, Pino telling her not to mention it; she gives him a brief smile, then is gone again, taking the food with her, Dinah slowing down her own consumption as she is too curious now to not ask, but not wanting to do so as long as anyone else but the Bertinelli siblings is around.

So, she eats as slowly as humanly possible, one after the other of the other staff members leaving the kitchen; Pino heads back to the bar, too, as there are still a few stragglers to serve, and soon, it’s just Helena and her in the kitchen, Dinah clearing her throat and making the chef look at her.

“I’m sorry, I’m too curious to not ask”, she says, and apparently, Helena knows at once what she is talking about, blushing a little bit, but not looking away this time, “so what was that with the kid about?”

“Her name’s Cassandra”, Helena tells her, snatching up the nearest towel and starting to wipe anything she can get her hands on, apparently in an attempt to keep her hands busy, “she’s in foster care, but the people looking after her aren’t very… dedicated. We caught her going through the dumpster behind our building one time, and, well…”

“Oh wow”, Dinah lets out, pleasantly surprised to hear this, she’s never gone hungry even when money has been tight, but she is aware and old enough by now to know that it has been a close call a few times, when she’s been little and her mother had been out of work, “that’s… very kind of you.”

Helena’s blush deepens, and she shrugs, clearly not used to being praised for this, and clearly, Dinah realizes, not aiming for it either, she just does it without any hidden thoughts of getting good publicity, does it so stealthily in fact that Dinah has been working here for weeks and has only noticed now. 

“It’s the right thing to do”, the chef says, shrugging again, tossing the towel aside as there is nothing left for her clean, “we couldn’t just ignore her trying to find food in our dumpster so… she comes here two to three times a week. And we can sneak some vegetables into her food, so she’ll eat at least a few healthy things.”

“You’re good persons”, Dinah solemnly says, then reaches over and touches Helena’s hand; the chef colours again, doesn’t pull back though, smiling at Dinah after a moment, Dinah smiling back at her at once, feeling as if they have shared something important and glad that it has happened.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another plus for Helena in Dinah's book. XD


	7. Crushes and Grilled Cheese

“Mom, I’m home!” Dinah calls out as she shoulders the door open, once again armed with food Helena has insisted on packing up for her, “and I brought yummy things again!”

“Again?” her mother calls from the living room, sounding surprised and delighted, “I’m telling you, I’ll soon weigh two hundred pounds with all the food these people send home with you.”

“Mister Bertinelli would probably tell you that you need some meat on your bones, anyway”, Dinah shrugs as she hands the bag to her, her mother peering into it and smiling at the scent which greets her, “apparently, that is what he says to everyone, or so Helena tells me.”

She makes her way to the kitchen to get a knife and fork and drinks for both of them, then returns to where her mother is unpacking the food now; and as she hands her the cutlery and then sits down, she tells her about what she has witnessed that night, her mother listening with raised brows when Dinah tells her off the teenager in foster care the Bertinellis are feeding.

“Wow”, the elder Dinah lets out as her daughter gets done with telling her all about the teenage girl, “that’s very nice of them, so they not only feed the people working for them, but kids they catch digging through their dumpsters, too? Not to sound prejudiced, but I didn’t think people who run a fine dining place would be so charitable.”

“I think they’d be just as happy running a regular pizza place”, Dinah ponders out loud, opening her soda and taking a sip before she goes on, “Helena would be, at least, she just loves to cook, you can tell just from watching her do it. She let me taste the soup today before the dinner rush started and man, it was so good.”

“Was it now”, her mother wants to know, raising her brows, something Dinah misses though as she is thinking back to that moment, the care with which Helena has given her the spoon and has warned her it’s hot, and she nods, smiling to herself as she remembers the grin on Helena’s face when she’s told her it’s delicious.

“It was, yeah”, she says out loud, “and she looked so happy when I told her that, you can just tell she loves it when people enjoy her food. She let me try this ice cream she’s made the other day too, and when I told her it’s good she…”

She trails off as she noticed the way her mother is grinning at her, and frowns, not sure what sure what this means; for a moment, she’s tempted to ignore it, then realizes that won’t lead anywhere, and so, she asks “what?”, gasping at her mother’s reply.

“Helena this, Helena that”, the elder woman says, grinning still, “you have a crush on her! Awww, that’s so sweet, does she like you too?”

“I do not!” Dinah protests at once, even though she isn’t sure why she denies it, honest enough with herself to admit that this might not be far from the truth, “I’m working for her… well, the whole family… and she’s just being nice.”

“You do”, her mother responds dryly, “and yeah, she’s just being nice, sure. The working together thing might make it a bit awkward, but then, you don’t work right in the kitchen with her, so that should be okay. And again, does she like you, too?”

“It doesn’t matter if she likes me or not because I do not have a crush on her”, Dinah primly says, quickly emptying her soda before she comes to her feet, “now finish that while I have a shower.”

“You have a crush and it’s adorable!” her mother calls after her as she heads to the bathroom, and she’s glad she’s with her back to the woman now as her face is burning; she grumbles to herself as she undresses and steps into the shower, and tries her hardest to push any and all thoughts of Helena far out of her mouth.

She doesn’t quite succeed, and it bothers her much less than it probably should have.

* * *

Already when that one guest enters the restaurant in the next evening and sits down at one of Dinah’s tables, she somehow knows the woman is going to be trouble.

Not only does she stick out like a sore thumb visually, dressed in a crazy, flashy combination, with three colours in her hair and very not subtle make-up, but she waves at everyone who looks at her and practically shouts “hello!”; not many do look at her, Dinah realizes, most are quick to avert their gaze, but she doesn’t seem bothered by it, humming happily to herself as she sits down and makes a show of stuffing the napkin into her collar.

“Hello and welcome to Bertinelli’s”, Dinah approaches her table, holding out a menu and keeping a perfectly straight face when the woman won’t take it, “would you like to hear the evening’s specials?”

“No”, the lady replies at once, smiling toothily at her, “I know what I want. A coke, not the sugarfree shit, a proper one, and a grilled cheese. With tomato. And fries on the side.”

“...okay”, Dinah says, blinking, wondering why someone would go to a place for fine Italian dining and then order a grilled cheese with fries, “I’m afraid we don’t have that on the menu, I’ll have to check with the kitchen for you. I’ll be right back.”

“You do that”, the woman nods happily, Dinah giving her another polite smile before she heads to the kitchen; Helena looks up when she enters, and Dinah clears her throat as she moves over to her, not quite sure what the reaction to this order will be. 

“So, uhm”, she starts, again wondering if this will be the first time Helena will yell at her, even though it’s not her fault, “there’s a lady out there who wants a grilled cheese with tomato and fries on the side.”

“What”, Helena says, blinking, the guys looking confused as well, “a grilled cheese? Like the sandwich?”

“I suppose so”, Dinah nods, shrugging and feeling a bit awkward, “I told her we don’t have that on the menu and that I’ll ask for her.”

“I’ll make it”, Luca throws in when Helena’s face darkens, before she can explode, “deep breath Helena, it’s either some weirdo or maybe a food critic who wants to see how willing we are to fulfil that. Can’t hurt to have that done.”

“I’m not saying I wouldn’t make it”, Helena argues back, while Luca already starts cutting potatoes for the fries, “I just don’t get it. Why go to an Italian restaurant and then order that? That’s like ordering  _ bucatini salsiccia  _ at a burger place.”

Luca just shrugs, and Helena sighs, then takes note of how Dinah is looking at her; she raises her brows, only more confused when Dinah colours a bit and clears her throat, keeping her voice low when she answers the unasked question.

“You sound very nice when you speak Italian”, she mumbles, and Helena blushes as well; after a moment though, she smiles, and Dinah smiles back at her, then lets her know she’ll go tell the guest that she’ll get her grilled cheese, Helena nodding her agreement as she gets to work on it, figuring she might as well help Luca with making it.

Together, they create the fanciest grilled cheese Dinah has ever seen, and she raises her eyebrows as she goes to pick it up; and as she carries the plate to the table of the weird lady, Helena peers out of the kitchen, apparently wanting to know who that strange customer is.

“That looks great”, the guest declares, rubbing her hands in glee as Dinah puts the plate down in front of her, then looks over at Helena, “is this the lady who made it? Hey! Cooking lady! Come over here!”

Helena looks confused, and Dinah halfway expects her to retreat into the kitchen again; she fights the urge to tell the lady that Helena is not “the cooking lady”, but the head chef, holding the words back though as she’s not sure what Helena would think of her correcting a guest like that.

“Hi”, the woman grins once Helena steps up to the table, “this is the best looking grilled cheese I’ve ever seen. Harley Quinn, I run a food blog, you’ll get a nice mention for sure, right on second place. Nobody tops the egg sandwiches in my neighbourhood. And you are?”

“Um, Helena Bertinelli”, Helena tells her, then seems to remember that she is a professional and clears her throat, sounding a bit more assertive, “I’m the head chef. Enjoy your sandwich.”

She says the last part a bit snippily, Dinah notes, but Harley doesn’t seem bothered, just grins and nods, then grabs the sandwich with both hands and takes a hearty bite; she chews and nods, licking her lips afterwards, Dinah going wide-eyed when she looks at Helena again afterwards.

“Very tasty”, Harley says, giving Helena an unabashed once-over which makes the head chef fidget noticeably, “and you look very tasty, too, is there any way I can get you on my menu?”

Dinah feels an irrational pang of jealousy at hearing that, and she stops herself from glaring at the woman in the last second; she’s slightly behind Helena, so she can’t see the taller woman’s face, but when Helena turns and walks back to the kitchen without a word, she has a second to see how dazed the chef looks, as if she has been hit on the head instead of receiving a compliment, weird as the compliment might have been.

“Guess no head chef on the menu for me”, Harley comments, not appearing very bothered; Dinah just gives her a tight smile, then tells her to enjoy her meal before she goes back to work.

She’s weirdly glad about Helena’s reaction to the outlandish question, and as she serves more drinks and meals, she wonders if her mom perhaps hasn’t been that far off when she’s claimed Dinah has a crush on the woman. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Harley. XD


	8. Knight in Black Jacket

For the next three days, “can I get you on my menu” is a sort of running gag among the staff, to Helena’s chagrin; she grumbles and rolls her eyes each time someone brings it up, and while Dinah finds it amusing too, now that some time has gone by, she avoids joining in on the teasing, she’s still not quite sure if she actually has a crush on Helena or just finds her nice, but either way, it seems wrong to bring this up to her when she wouldn’t have minded a bit of Bertinelli on her own menu.

“You know”, Helena says on the fourth afternoon after The Infamous Visit of Harley Quinn, when Dinah is early again and is keeping her company in the kitchen, watching her making pasta and being quite appreciative of her nimble fingers, “you’re the only one who’s not teasing me about this. Bonus points for you, next time there is just one dessert left over, you’ll get that one.”

“Aw, how sweet”, Dinah smiles, earning a brief smirk from Helena before her gaze returns to her work again, “but better not say that too loud, or the others will accuse me of kissing up to the boss.”

“Technically, my father owns the restaurant”, Helena points out in response, not taking her eyes off of the pasta as she speaks and thus missing the smile Dinah gives her, “so the two of us getting along is not butt kissing.”

“Good to know”, Dinah says with another smile, then realizes her shift is about to start and tells Helena she’ll see her later; Helena gives her a brief nod, and Dinah heads out to get her shift started, just in time, too, as the first tables are already filling.

They make it through the dinner rush with no trouble though, with neither food being sent back, nor anyone showing up to order weird things which are not on the menu; and once business slows down again a few hours later, Barbara is the first one to take her break this time, Dinah taking over her tables. 

Two guys sit down at one of those just as Barbara vanishes into the kitchen, and Dinah goes over to take their order; already on the way she can tell they’re not sober anymore, and it doesn’t surprise her when they tell her they want scotch and no food.

It’s not often that people come to this place just for a drink, but it’s not the first time, either, and so Dinah doesn’t think much of it when she goes to the bar to get the order; Pino pours the drinks and hands them to her, and she smiles politely as she serves them, the men barely acknowledging her though when she puts the glasses down.

She knows better than to let this bother her, and goes to take care of one of her own tables when they flag her down and ask to pay; and just when she gets done with that, one of the two scotch guys waves at her, his glass is still half full, so she figures he can’t want a refill, wondering if perhaps he has changed his mind about food, most of Barbara’s tables are pretty close to the kitchen and they can probably smell the delicious meals where they are sitting.

“This is not what I ordered”, he says the moment she is close enough to hear him, and she holds back a frown, she knows this is what the guy has ordered, but on the other hand, she knows better than to argue with customers, and so, she just smiles and apologizes, asking him what he wants to drink, then.

“Maybe you should note it down”, he says, his buddy snorting as if he has made some amazing joke, “seeing you couldn’t remember this fucking order for the five steps from here to the bar!”

“I apologize for the inconvenience”, Dinah says again, it gets a bit harder to keep her smile in place as he is looking at her as if she perhaps has insulted his mother instead of having brought him a wrong drink, which she knows for sure she hasn’t done in the first place, “just let me know what you would like and I’ll be glad to get it for you.”

“Maybe I should go to the bar and get it myself”, he ponders out loud, his volume rising and several people looking at them now, making Dinah pretty sure he just wants to get a reaction from her, perhaps, she thinks to herself, he’s the type of guy who enjoys it to make waitresses and other clerks cry, “since you are obviously too much of an illiterate cow to get it right!”

The insult comes so out of nowhere that Dinah’s mouth drops open, she’s expected some more complaining, but not this level of hostility; and while she can only stare at him, Helena comes storming out of the kitchen like an angry bull, a scowl on her face and fire in her eyes, and she hears Pino mutter “oh jeez” from behind the bar, the young man not making a move to step in though.

“What did you just call her”, Helena barks as she stops next to Dinah, and Dinah’s honestly surprised that the man doesn’t catch fire from the power of Helena’s glare alone, “you will not come here and insult our staff!”

“She brought me the wrong drink!” he tries to defend himself, but that only makes Helena angrier, her volume rising to easily match his, people watching in fascination now, but Dinah doesn’t mind anymore, staring at Helena in awe as the chef snaps back.

“I don’t care if she  _ pissed _ in your drink”, she tells the man, a few of the other guests snickering at that, “you do not talk to our staff this way! Out!”

He comes to his feet in response, possibly to glare down on her, but as it turns out, Helena is taller than he is, towering over him and easily matching his glare, crossing her arms over chest, the way her chef’s jacket bulges over her biceps clearly not unnoticed by the man and his buddy.

“Come on”, the guy’s friend says, coming to his feet as well, “let’s just go, let’s take our business elsewhere if they don’t want us here.”

“We don’t”, Pino throws in, glaring almost as intensely as Helena, “you’re both banned. Like my sister said, out.”

“Whatever”, the guy grumbles, grabbing his drink and finishing it, Dinah raising her brows as he has started this whole stink about that in the first place, “fine, let’s go. Fucking greaseballs…”

Helena looks as if she might punch him at that, and Dinah quickly places one hand on her arm, figuring the taller woman can easily get away with kicking someone out of the restaurant, but not with physically attacking someone; she can feel Helena relax beneath her touch, and to her relief, Helena just keeps glaring, but makes no move to hit the guy after all.

“I didn’t, you know”, Dinah says once the guys are out the door, halfway sure that she will be yelled at now for messing up like this, “bring him the wrong drink, I mean. His buddy ordered for both of them, two scotches.”

“I know you didn’t”, Helena says, the way her gaze softens when she looks at Dinah making her feel all warm and tingly inside, “they were close enough to the kitchen that I could hear it all. And even if you had brought him the wrong thing, that’d be no reason still to speak to you like that.”

“Come on you guys”, Pino calls out to them for the bar, before Dinah can thank Helena for standing up for her like that, “this calls for a shot, on the house. There you go.”

He pours them both one, and one shot for himself, of some fancy Italian liquor Dinah has never heard of before; they all down it one go, Dinah coughing a bit as it burns down her throat, unperturbed though when both Helena and Pino smirk at her at her reaction, after how Helena has jumped in to help her.

“Thank you”, she quietly says when Pino ducks down behind the bar again to put the bottle away, “for helping me out like that. Not everyone would have done that.”

Helena blushes a bit in reply, and shrugs, suddenly the exact opposite of the rage filled woman she has been minutes ago; Dinah smiles at her, then reaches over to grasp Helena’s hand and give it a brief squeeze, and at the shy smile the chef gives her in response, Dinah can feel her heart speed up.

She definitely has a crush, she has to admit to herself, and now she wonders if she should do anything about it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't insult Dinah, unless you want Helena's rage aimed at you. XD


	9. Closer Look

Once again, Dinah brings home dinner for her mother, the elder woman clearly happy to receive it; and as she sits down to eat, Dinah takes a seat, as well, clearing her throat and making her mother look at her curiously, the way Dinah fidgets on her seat telling her that something is up.

“So, there was this asshole today”, Dinah decides to start more or less at the beginning, “claiming I’d brought him the wrong drink when I didn’t and calling me an illiterate cow.”

“Rude”, the elder Dinah replies, shaking her head, “please tell me you didn’t punch him and lost your job, I’d miss this food too much.”

“I didn’t”, Dinah tells her with a roll of her eyes, making her smirk, “Helena came storming out of the kitchen while I was still trying to process that, yelled at him and threw him out. And that made me realize something.”

“That you have a crush on her, like I told you”, her mother declares, and Dinah blushes, but doesn’t try to deny it anymore; she lets out a vaguely agreeing noise, rolling her eyes at the triumphant look Dinah senior shoots her.

“And now you’re not sure if you should do anything about it”, she then adds, and Dinah sighs, a bit dismayed by how well her mother knows her, “well, I don’t know this Helena woman, so I can’t tell you that. But now that you’ve confirmed your crush, I do want to get a closer look at her.”

“Well, she did say I should bring you for dinner if you like the food”, Dinah ponders, then gives her a strict look, “but don’t you dare say anything her!”

“Of course not, I would never”, Dinah senior protests at once, shaking her head for emphasis, “but I do want a good look at the woman my girl is crushing on. Need to make sure she’s good enough for you, you know.”

Dinah rolls her eyes at that, but smiles, feeling touched; her mother smiles back at her and winks, then asks her when her next evening off will be, pulling out her phone once Dinah has told her.

“I’ll ask Renee if she wants to come, too”, she declares, Dinah smiling again at that, her mother and the woman in question have been friends forever, and Renee is like an honorary aunt to her, “she’ll want to get a look at this woman too once I tell her you have a crush, and you know she’s good at reading people.”

Dinah nods at once, thinking back to how Renee has warned her about Roman Sionis, the owner of the club where she has worked before, after just speaking to him once; Dinah hasn’t listened back then, but she has thought about Renee’s words when Sionis has shown his creepy self, and she sincerely hopes Renee won’t have anything bad to say about Helena.

Her mother sends a quick text to Renee, and the response comes quickly, her smile telling Dinah Renee has agreed to come even before her mother says it out loud; she still nods and smiles once the elder woman had confirmed this, feeling simultaneously excited and nervous as she goes to have a shower, wondering what Renee and Dinah senior will have to say about Helena and hoping it will only be good things.

* * *

Dinah figures that, during dinner rush, Helena will be too busy to actually come to their table, so she suggests for them to show up a bit later; and so, the place is half empty when they do get there, Renee complaining that this is too late for her to eat and that she is very hungry already.

“They better be fast”, she adds as they choose a table and sit down, Pino beaming at them and waving from behind the bar; Dinah waves back at him, and a moment later, one of the other waiters comes over to hand them menus and take their drink orders, Dinah noticing Pino vanishing into the kitchen, probably to inform Helena that she is here as a guest and has brought someone along.

A minute later, she learns that her assumption has been correct, as Helena pokes her head out of the kitchen and waves at them; she’s clearly busy though, ducking out of sight again a moment later, but still Dinah senior nods her approval, smirking at her daughter, doing her the favour though of keeping her voice low when she speaks up.

“Tall and good looking, can’t blame you”, the elder woman says, Renee nodding along while Dinah blushes; thankfully, they both are quiet about Helena’s good looks when the waiter appears with their drinks and they order dinner, Dinah senior peering towards the kitchen once the waiter has retreated once more.

“Let’s hope she’ll come say Hello”, she then comments, making Renee smirk while Dinah rolls her eyes, “I do want a closer look at her, I’ve only seen her for like two seconds.”

“If she likes Dinah, too, she will”, Renee says, and Dinah fights to urge to hide her face in her hands, “but we’ll see, I guess?”

“Fucking Hell!” Helena picks this moment to shout in the kitchen, and Dinah senior raises her brows; Renee seems unperturbed though, snickering to herself, shrugging at the questioning look both Dinah and her mother give her.

“Italian chef”, she says, as if that explains it all, “of course she’d have a temper. She yell at you like that?”

“No”, Dinah replies at once, Renee nodding in satisfaction, “but the other day, she yelled at an asshole guest who was rude to me.”

Renee raises her brows at that, and gives another nod; not wanting to talk about Helena behind her back, Dinah changes the topic by asking her how things are going at Gotham PD, the way the other woman rolls her eyes at once telling her she perhaps hasn’t chosen the best topic.

Still Renee starts talking, telling them about the newest exploits of her colleagues; and as she speaks, the first course is served, Dinah smiling to herself when the other two try the soup and let out little noises of appreciation.

“Man, this is good”, Dinah senior says out loud what Dinah already knows, “it’s already good when we warm it up at home, but it’s even better now.”

The main course is served not long after, and is received just as well as the soup; and just when they finish, Helena emerges from the kitchen and makes her way to their table, smiling at them as she approaches.

“Hello, welcome”, she says, Dinah senior taking note of how the chef’s eyes keep flickering to her daughter even as she greets Renee and her, “I hope you enjoyed your meal here at Bertinelli’s.”

“It was delicious”, Dinah reassures her at once, aware of her mother watching their interaction, but hoping Helena won’t notice, “as is everything you make. This is my mother, Dinah as well, and our friend, Renee.”

“Nice to meet you”, Helena politely says, both women nodding in response, “we’re happy to have you here tonight, Dinah is a very valued member of our team. If you guys still got room for dessert, I’ll have some brought, on the house.”

“I always got room for sweet things”, Dinah senior declares, then smirks at her daughter, “and I bet so does Dinah.”

Dinah glares at her in response, but Helena seems to miss the innuendo completely; she just smiles and nods, then tells them to enjoy the upcoming meal before she vanishes into the kitchen again, the dessert being served minutes later, consisting of home made ice cream, cake and a selection of fresh fruit.

“She couldn’t stop looking at you”, Dinah senior snickers as she tries the cake, another happy noise coming from her at the taste, “she’s into you, as well, for sure.”

“I agree”, Renee nods, Dinah groaning at them in response, not quite happy to discuss this so openly, “and this is delicious. You better make sure to snatch her up before anyone else can.”

“You just want to score more free food”, Dinah accuses, Renee smirking and shrugging while her mother snickers to herself; Dinah rolls her eyes, but smiles a bit as well, and as she tries the dessert, she peers towards the kitchen, seeing Helena standing in the doorway, and their eyes meet.

Dinah smiles at her, and Helena smiles back at once, Dinah very aware of the warm and tingly feeling this causes in her stomach and knowing perfectly well what it means.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Come on Dinah, do something about it. XD


	10. Doing Something About It

“My mom wanted me to tell you that the food was amazing”, Dinah tells Helena in the next afternoon as she once more is early for the beginning of her shift, “and when we got back home, she told me I’m not allowed to quit here, ever, because she loves the food too much.”

“Well, then you’ll just have to keep working here”, Helena solemnly says, making her smile at her overly serious tone, “but happy to hear your mother enjoyed our food, I would have been sad if she had hated it.”

“And we don’t want you to be sad”, Dinah tells her at once, making her smile a bit, “but honestly, if anyone told me they hate your food, I’d tell them there is something wrong with their taste buds. Your food is amazing.”

“Thank you”, Helena says, her cheeks colouring a bit, a clear sign, Dinah thinks to herself, that her mother has been right when she has said that Helena likes her, too, certainly, the chef often gets complimented for her food and she doesn’t believe that Helena blushes like that every time.

She makes a mental note to herself to try and catch Helena alone, maybe once the restaurant is close to shutting the doors for the night; she wonders if it’d be weird to ask a head chef out for dinner, or maybe lunch since Helena seems to work every evening, but maybe, she ponders as she gets ready for work, they could do something else, her mind racing as she tries to come up with a nice idea for a first date.

As she takes orders and delivers food and drinks, Dinah keeps pondering, and uses a short lull to pull out her phone and check the upcoming events in Gotham; one of them catches her eye, and she smiles to herself, it looks like something Helena might enjoy, and she notes it down, hoping she’ll get a chance to catch the chef alone and ask her.

Even though she is busy, time seems to pass slower than usual today, probably because Dinah is eager for her shift to end so she can ask Helena out; despite her slight distraction, she gets through her shift just fine, loitering around near the kitchen afterwards, long enough so that Pino notices.

“Everything okay?” he asks, and Dinah flinches a bit, feeling oddly caught, but then, she figures she might as well be honest with him, if this does work out, he’ll notice anyway; she clears her throat, then smiles a bit and shrugs, making sure to keep her voice low so Helena in the kitchen won’t hear her.

“I need to talk to Helena”, she says, Pino raising his eyebrows, “um… ask her something.”

“Oh my God, please tell me you want to ask her out”, Pino says, and Dinah can only stare at him, “if only for my sanity, at home, all we hear is Dinah this and Dinah that, she’s driving me crazy.”

“She talks about me?” Dinah wants to know, surprised; Pino rolls his eyes and nods, then suddenly snorts, prompting Dinah to raise her brows in confusion.

“Please tell me you’re not completely clueless about her liking you”, the young man says, smirking now while Dinah shrugs, “come on Dinah, you’ve been working here for weeks.”

“So?” Dinah wants to know, frowning, “that doesn’t mean that she automatically likes me, you know.”

“Well, no”, Pino agrees with her, only confusing her further, but he elaborates before she has the chance to ask, “but really, you’ve been working here for weeks and she hasn’t yelled at you once. Not one time. You are aware that this is unusual, yes?”

“Oh”, Dinah lets out, Pino snickering at her reaction, “I just thought… I gave her no reason to yell at me so far?”

“Sure”, Pino smirks, his amusement making her smile a bit again as well, “come on, I’ve seen her yell at the guys after she’s cut her hand, as if it’s their fault. She doesn’t need a reason to yell at someone when she cooks, and the fact that she hasn’t yelled at you says so much more than she probably realizes.”

“More than I’ve realized, as well”, Dinah admits, making Pino snicker again before he shrugs, apparently just glad that she’ll make a move now; and as if on cue, Sal, Luca and Massimo walk past, waving goodbye as they head out for the night.

“That’s your chance!” Pino cheers her on, nudging her towards the kitchen; she feels a bit amazed and touched at how invested he seems to be into her asking Helena out, then shrugs it off and takes a deep breath as she steps into the kitchen, glad when she finds Helena still there, and all alone.

“Hey”, she says, Helena turning to look at her and giving her a smile, clearly pleased to see her, “another good day, huh? No food sent back and no rude idiots.”

“Yeah”, Helena agrees, giving her a curious look, apparently already having figured out that Dinah hasn’t just come here to talk to her about the day, “and no accidents in the kitchen, either, that is always a plus.”

Dinah nods, moving a bit closer, suddenly very aware of Helena’s eyes on her; she clears her throat, then tells herself to not be silly and to just go for it, after several people have confirmed her interest isn’t one-sided, especially with Pino being one of those, Dinah figuring that he knows what he is talking about.

“So”, she makes herself start, “I saw something interesting, there’s this film festival in a park near my place, open air, free admittance? They’re showing a bunch of movies based on books, I thought maybe we could go there? You know… just the two of us. It starts at one, so we can catch a movie before dinner rush.”

“Oh, yeah, that sounds nice”, Helena says, to Dinah’s immense relief, even though she’s not sure Helena is actually catching on to her intentions; deciding to be a little bit daring and to make them crystal clear, she smiles as she pulls out her phone, opening the festival’s website before she steps to stand next to Helena so they can look at the screen together, standing a bit closer to her than perhaps strictly necessary, and going even further by placing her free hand on the taller woman’s back.

“Okay, look”, she says lightly, even though she can feel Helena go tense at her touch first, then relax noticeably, a good sign, she figures, “this is the movie list, anything jumping out at you?”   


Helena manages a short nod and points to one of the movies, remaining quiet now, and Dinah wonders for a moment if she is making her uncomfortable; before she can pull back though, Helena clears her throat, then looks at her, the way her cheeks redden unbearably cute to the other woman.

“So, I, um, I’ll pick you up?” Helena says, relaxing a bit again when Dinah nods at once, “half past twelve okay for you? I can bring a little picnic, we can eat that while watching the movie.”

“That sounds nice”, Dinah says at once, enjoying the thought of a picnic prepared by a professional head chef, “I’ll bring the drinks, so it’ll be fair.”

Helena nods, then clears her throat again while Dinah tucks her phone away, cheeks reddening again as she glances at the other woman, even shuffling her feet a bit, so adorable that Dinah isn’t sure she can actually take it.

“So, um”, Helena says, fidgeting some more, “I guess it’s… a date…?”   


“Definitely”, Dinah says immediately, and Helena’s face lights up, Dinah smiling back at her, glad that they are on the same page and quite certain now that everything will work out just fine between them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Go Dinah! XD


	11. Date

Already when Dinah gets up in the next morning, she is excited, skillfully ignoring her mother’s teasing as she prepares coffee for them; she merely rolls her eyes when the elder Dinah wants to know if she thinks there’ll be leftovers from the picnic Helena has promised, smirking at her afterwards, her response making the other woman gasp in indignation.

“If there are, I won’t give you any”, she declares, Dinah senior clutching her heart dramatically, “because of all the teasing. I’ll eat them right in front of you and won’t let you have any.”

“Child”, the elder woman gasps, shaking her head, Dinah snickering at her dramatic behaviour, “you’d treat your own mother this way? I’ll tell your girlfriend when she arrives here, I’m sure as an Italian, she won’t appreciate. They are big on family, you know.”   


“First, she’s not my girlfriend”, Dinah corrects, “we’re just going on a date, nothing’s official yet. Second, she’ll take my side, if I tell her you’re teasing me endlessly, so there.”

“She’s gonna be your girlfriend soon, then”, her mother replies, unimpressed when Dinah rolls her eyes again, “and fine, you’re probably right. Okay, I’ll stop then, because I bet even if she makes something simple like sandwiches and salad, it’s gonna be delicious.”

“For sure”, Dinah nods at once, then smirks, “and fine, because you just agreed to not badmouth me to my  _ date _ \- not my girlfriend! - I’ll share possible leftovers.”   


“Good”, her mother says, smirking as well; Dinah shakes her head at her mother’s antics, then pours them both some coffee, sitting down with her to drink it afterwards, shaking her head when Dinah senior asks her if she doesn’t want to eat anything.

“I got a feeling that Helena might go overboard a bit with the picnic”, she then says, making her mother laugh, “she did say she’ll bring a little picnic, but, well…”

“She’s Italian”, Dinah senior wisely replies, making her laugh and nod, “her definition of  _ little _ might differ from ours.”

Dinah nods her agreement to that, then finishes her coffee and lets her mother know she’ll go have a shower and then buy drinks for the picnic; and not long after that, she’s at the supermarket, and realizes that she has no real idea what Helena likes, so far, she only has seen her drink water and the shot Pino has poured for them after the rude guest.

So, she buys a selection of sodas, and bottled water, just to be on the safe side; and after a moment, she gets a bottle of fancy sounding wine too, a Californian one as she figures that Helena gets more than enough Italian wine during her time at work, hoping the chef will like it.

Once she’s satisfied with her selection of drinks, Dinah makes her way back to the apartment, dismayed when she realizes she still has almost two hours to pass until Helena will pick her up; she keeps busy with cooling the drinks though, then doing chores around their home, until finally, it’s close to the time they have agreed upon.

Eager to be ready on time, Dinah changes into something more suitable for going out, smiling to herself as she puts on light makeup as she wonder what Helena will wear - so far, she only has seen her in her chef’s jacket, once in the sleeveless shirt she wears beneath it, but never in anything casual and suitable for free time.

Punctually at half past twelve, there’s a knock on the door, and Dinah smiles before she even pulls it open; and her smile only widens when she sees Helena stand in front of it, the taller woman holding a bouquet of flowers, smiling back at her while her cheeks redden slightly.

“Hey”, Dinah greets her, Helena returning the greeting, the way she is unable to look away from her even for a second telling Dinah immediately that she has chosen her outfit well; clearing her throat, Helena seems to remember her manners after another few seconds, holding the flowers out to her, her blush somehow deepening even further.

“These are for you”, she mumbles, and Dinah is glad that her mother isn’t watching and commenting, Helena seems so nervous already and she doesn’t want her to feel even worse, “you, um… you look amazing.”

“Thank you, so do you”, Dinah smiles as she accepts the flowers, and she means it; Helena is dressed in black again, she seems to favour this colour, a button-up shirt with the sleeves rolled up to the elbows, giving Dinah a nice view of her forearms, and jeans, Dinah a bit amused to see that Helena is wearing the same sneakers she always uses in the kitchen, “just let me put those in water, then we’re good to go.”

She turns to look for a vase, and her mother chooses that moment to make an appearance after all, commenting on how charming it is to bring flowers as she takes them from Dinah and lets her know she’ll take care of them; she tells them “have fun, kids”, and Helena blushes a bit again at being addressed this way, to Dinah’s amusement.

“Alright”, she says as the flowers are carried off to the kitchen and she has grabbed the drinks, “I guess we’re ready to go then?”

Helena nods and takes a step back so Dinah can actually leave the apartment, and they head down the stairs together; as it turns out, the chef has found a free parking spot near the entrance, her car a sleek black model which prompts Dinah to raise her eyebrows, even though the large cooler on the backseat gains her attention even quicker than the car itself.

“Let me guess”, she states, making Helena smile as they put on their seatbelts, “this is the  _ little _ picnic you were talking about? Doesn’t look that little to me.”

“Eh, that’s nothing”, Helena claims as she starts the engine, “one time, the four of us - my brother, my parents and me - went for a picnic and we had three coolers that size. And a separate one for drinks.”

“Jeez”, Dinah lets out, laughing, Helena smirking at her before she carefully drives out onto the road; it’s not far to the park where the movie festival is happening, and since it’s somewhat early still, there are not many people around yet, Helena finding a spot for the car again quickly and grabbing the cooler, shaking her head when Dinah asks if she needs help carrying it.

“You can carry the blanket though”, she then adds, grabbing said blanket from the backseat; Dinah nods and takes it, along with the drinks, and they find a nice spot where they have both shade from a large tree and a good view of the screen, Dinah spreading the blanket on the ground so they both can sit down on it.

“Alright”, Helena says as she opens the cooler, “I wasn’t sure what sort of sandwich you prefer so I made… a bunch. So we got with chicken salad, with tuna salad, with pastrami and pickles, with cheese and mayonnaise if you want one without meat, and with vegetable salad, and I also brought salads which are not between slices of bread.”

She removes food from the cooler as she speaks, wrapped-up sandwiches and carefully covered salad bowls; Dinah just watches her with big eyes, amazed by the growing mountain of food on the blanket, shaking her head by the time Helena finally finishes unpacking.

“Wow”, she then states, eying the food with raised eyebrows, “we can eat our fill and then probably feed half of the people here. You planning to sell those?”

“No”, Helena replies with a small laugh, “I figured we’ll find someone who’ll eat what we bring back. I know there’s a sort of center for teenagers not far from here where they get support, we donate to that and I’m fairly certain they’d be happy about some extra food.”

“Sounds like a plan”, Dinah smiles, once again touched by the way the Bertinelli family is willing to take care of those who aren’t as well off as they are, “alright then, now that this is settled, I’ve never had pastrami, so I want to try that.”

Helena actually gasps at that, and then practically shoves one of said sandwiches into her hand, making her laugh; she still takes a moment to grab a drink and offer them to Helena, then they both start eating, sitting comfortably side by side as the movie starts, stealing glances at each other, glad to be with each other and that they get to spend this time together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yum, Pastrami...


	12. Downpour

Both Dinah and Helena eat until they are practically filled to the brim, and there is still more than enough food left once they are done; Helena keeps her gaze on the movie screen as she packs the food up again, but somehow still manages to not spill or squish anything, and Dinah is impressed, but then, she figures that the taller woman handles food each day and knows what she is doing.

She feels a bit embarrassed to realize that she hasn’t thought of bringing plastic cups for the wine, but luckily, Helena has thought of that, and has had some stowed away in the cooler; and so, once they have eaten, Dinah opens the wine and pours for them both, smiling at the way Helena tastes the wine, swirling it around in her mouth before she nods her approval.

“Am I glad you like that wine”, Dinah tells her after taking a sip of her own, “I would have bad if you had made all this amazing food and then I bring a wine which sucks.”

“It’s good”, Helena reassures her, taking a closer look at the bottle, “I don’t think I’ve ever had this brand? Dad is very strict about which sort of wine we serve at the restaurant, Italian only.”

“I figured”, Dinah tells her with a small laugh, making her smile as well; she takes a moment to refill their cups, then they both focus on the movie again, and Dinah decides to be a bit daring, moving until she sits much closer to Helena, smiling into her drink when the taller woman puts one arm around her after a few moments.

From the corner of her eye, she notices Helena glancing at her every now and then, but that is all she does - and then, shortly before the end credits roll, the chef looks up at the sky and frowns, prompting Dinah to do the same, and she makes a face as well at the dark clouds which are slowly filling the sky now.

“Damn”, she lets out, a vaguely agreeing noise coming from Helena in response, “looks like it’s gonna rain, you want to risk it and finish the movie or get to the car?”

Before Helena can answer that, the rain starts, a heavy downpour from one moment to the next, and they both jump up, Helena cursing the way she usually just does in the kitchen; Dinah quickly grabs the drinks and the blanket while Helena snatches up the cooler, glad that all the food has been packed and is safe, and then they run to the car, along with several others of the festival’s visitors.

Already as they run, Helena pulls out the car keys, and pushes the button to open the doors; and despite their hurry, they are soaked to the bone by the time they get into the car, and Helena grumbles as she realizes all they have to dry themselves at least a bit is the picnic blanket.

“You go first”, she then tells Dinah, running both hands through her hair to get the wet strands out of her face; this looks much hotter than it perhaps should, and Dinah finds herself staring for a few seconds, until Helena gives her a questioning look, apparently unaware of her attractiveness as her clothes cling to her and water drips from her hair.

“Right”, Dinah snaps out of it, clearing her throat and using the blanket the best she can to dry herself off; once she is more or less done, figuring it won’t get much better, she hands the blanket to Helena, and the chef does the same, rubbing her hair more or less dry and patting at her clothes, then throws the blanket onto the backseat and moves her hair out of her face again, raising her brows at how Dinah is watching her do so.

“You have no idea, right”, Dinah says, and Helena blinks, not knowing what she is talking about, and prompting her to elaborate, “about how attractive you are?”

“Oh”, Helena lets out, blushing deeply, and for a moment, Dinah is surprised that the droplets of water still dripping from her hair don’t turn into steam, “I… guess… not…?”

“Well, you are”, Dinah tells her, Helena smiling a bit sheepishly in response, “and I’d like to kiss you right now.”

“I’d like that, too”, Helena says at once, sounding quite eager; Dinah laughs a bit at her reaction, then leans in and kisses her, and even though their positions are a bit awkward and the handbrake digs into her thigh, it’s a good kiss, starting out slow, but quickly becoming more passionate, a small sigh escaping her when she feels one of Helena’s hands come up and move into her hair to pull her even closer.

When they pull apart again, they both are breathing heavier, and Dinah knows that the joy she can see in Helena’s eyes is mirrored in her own; she’s not quite able to stop smiling, but Helena is grinning from ear to ear, as well, so she figures it’s okay, belatedly realizing that Helena’s hand is still resting at the back of her neck, the touch making her skin tingle.

“So”, Dinah is the one to break the silence, if only to keep herself from pouncing Helena right then and there, telling herself that the taller woman’s car, while nice and fancy, is not the ideal place for anything else than kissing, “should we go and drop off the leftovers?”

“Yeah”, Helena manages, that one word enough to let Dinah hear the hitch in her breath, and it makes her feel tingly all over again, but she tries hard to ignore it; Helena clears her throat, then gives her a smile, Dinah smiling back at her before she, suddenly daring, reaches over and places her hand on the other woman’s thigh, just as Helena starts the engine.

The engine dies, and Helena’s blush deepens, Dinah finding herself both amused and touched by this reaction; clearing her throat, Helena tries again, and this time, the engine does come to life, the relieved look on Helena’s face making Dinah laugh slightly.

“Just so you know”, Helena says as she carefully drives out onto the road, “I am somewhat experienced when it comes to… dating and stuff. It’s just been a while. So I might look like a buffoon every now and then.”

“You’re not a buffoon”, Dinah reassures her at once, earning another smile, “and you don’t look like one, either. I think it’s adorable.”

“Lucky me”, Helena tells her, making her smile again as well, “others might think it’s weird.”

“Well, I don’t”, Dinah solemnly says, patting her thigh and this time, Helena doesn’t kill the engine in response, but manages to keep going, even though Dinah can tell that she is focusing very hard on driving and on not getting distracted by her touch.

“You want me to take my hand away?” she offers, smirking when Helena shakes her head at once, “I don’t want this date to end in a car crash.”

“I’m good”, Helena says at once, sounding a bit eager again and making Dinah laugh once more; they smile at each other, then Helena focuses on the road again and Dinah leans back into the seat, feeling good and comfortable and content, happy that things are working out so well between them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, smoochies :D


	13. Workplace

“So”, Dinah says once Helena parks in front of her apartment building; they have dropped off the food at the center, to the joy of the people there, and by the time they’d gotten done there, the rain had stopped, so they had gone for a walk, even though it hasn’t been in the nicest neighbourhood, but Dinah has enjoyed herself, they’ve held hands and just have enjoyed being together.

“So?” Helena repeats, and Dinah realizes she has just stared at her for a while, but then, Helena is quite nice to look at, even if she seems unaware of it, a fact which only endears her further to Dinah.

“So, we work again later today”, Dinah points out, “should I just… I don’t know, march up and kiss you Hello, or would you prefer it if I didn’t do that?”

She doesn’t outright ask if Helena wants to keep their relationship secret for now, but she doesn’t have to, Helena immediately gets what she’s implying; and she responds by wrapping one arm around Dinah’s waist, pulling her closer and kissing her soundly, the smaller woman’s knees a bit wobbly be the time they pull apart again.

“You might not want to show up in the kitchen too often”, Helena tells her, and Dinah is glad her arm is still around her waist, actually not sure if she would have been able to stand on her own, “because I’ll do that every time you step in there.”

“Good to know”, Dinah smirks, regaining her composure at last, “and your family will be fine with it?”

“Pino will be ecstatic”, Helena replies with a roll of her eyes, making Dinah laugh as she thinks back to what the man in question has said to her about asking Helena out, “he kept telling me that my endless pining is annoying and that I should just ask you out. But I didn’t quite dare.”

“Good thing I’m quite daring”, Dinah says, making Helena nod at once, “but honestly, I wasn’t sure either. Pino told me I should go for it, because he can’t take the pining anymore.”

“I should yell at him for that”, Helena grumbles, rolling her eyes while Dinah laughs again, “but then it did work out so…”

“That was what he used to convince me you like me, by the way”, Dinah reveals, Helena raising her eyebrows questioningly, “the fact that you’ve never yelled at me in the time I’ve worked there now.”

“Oh”, Helena lets out, blushing a bit as she realizes that is true, “yeah, I… I guess he had a point. Can’t promise I’ll never ever yell at you though, I just… tend to do that when I’m working.”

“I won’t take it personal”, Dinah reassures her at once, making her smile again, “no worries there.”

Helena has time for a smile of her own, then Dinah pulls her in for another kiss; she’s a bit regretful when they pull apart again, but she does know they both have to work soon, and she reminds herself of the fact that she’ll see Helena again soon anyway, so she won’t have to be away from her for too long.

“Okay”, she thus says, Helena still having both arms around her, apparently not all too willing to let go, either, “we better get moving, or we will be late for work. And that would be a bad start into… this.”

She doesn’t quite dare say  _ relationship _ yet, it’s not like they have defined it so far; Helena nods in response, sighing a bit, clearly not happy about it, but knowing that Dinah is right, and she knows the teasing would be endless if she’d be late for work after her first date with Dinah. 

“You’re right”, she thus says, nodding as if to emphasize her words, not sure if this is aimed at Dinah or at herself, “I better get going. I’ll see you later.”

Dinah nods as well, then pulls her in for another kiss, just because she can and because of how good it feels to kiss her; Helena is grinning when they pull apart again, and Dinah smiles back at her, unable to stop herself from grinning even as Helena finally does pull away and gets into the car.

She hums happily to herself as she makes her way to her apartment, and the moment she steps inside, her mother practically hops up from the couch and demands to know how the date has gone, grinning already at the happy look on her daughter’s face.

“It went very well”, Dinah tells her, the elder woman’s grin widening in response, “perfect, actually, even though we got rained on. Very good first date.”

“Great”, her mother replies, her gaze suddenly softening, “I’m happy for you, you deserve it. And I’m sure she’ll treat you well.”

Dinah can only nod, touched by her mother’s words; Dinah senior gives her a smile, then pulls her into a brief hug, Dinah smiling again by the time they pull apart again, perfectly content and happy, all at once just knowing that everything will work out just fine.

* * *

When Dinah arrives at the restaurant a few hours later, she wonders if Helena has told her family about their date, and if the chef has been serious when she has claimed she’d kiss her right in the kitchen; and she decides there is only one way to find out, waving Hi to Pino as she passes him, the young man waving back at her and grinning, and she wonders if that grin means that he knows or if he’s just being friendly. 

“Hey”, she says casually as she enters the kitchen; Helena is standing at her workstation and cutting meat, but when she hears Dinah’s voice, she puts the knife down, turns, marches over to her - and kisses her, right as she’s announced she would, Dinah feeling her knees go weak while she dimly hears the guys gasp, in such perfect unison that it’s almost comical.

“Hi”, the taller woman says after the kiss, ignoring the way the guys start nudging each other and are grinning in excitement, “had a good afternoon?”

“Yeah”, Dinah nods, placing her hands on Helena’s waist as she smiles back at her, “but even better now, cause I’m here again and get to see you.”

“Awwww”, the guys let out, and now, Helena stops ignoring them so she can glare at them; they all quickly turn back to their work, making Dinah laugh while the chef smirks, her smile becoming much kinder when she looks at Dinah again. 

“I’m happy to see you, too”, she tells her, her smile widening when Dinah’s hands slide so that they can rest on her back, “I’ve been looking forward to it all afternoon.”

Dinah smiles and pulls her in for another kiss, then ends the embrace a bit regretfully, knowing she has to get ready for work; she doesn’t want this new development between Helena and herself have an impact on her work though, and so, she tells the chef she better get ready, Helena nodding at once, not really surprising Dinah, with the work ethic the taller woman has displayed so far.

“I’ll see you later”, she says, Dinah nodding her agreement as well; she still takes a moment for another brief, but gentle kiss, then heads out of the kitchen to get ready for work, the way Pino grins at her now making her quite sure that he knows exactly how their date has gone, an impression which is underlined when he winks at her and gives a thumbs-up.

She just smirks at him as she helps herself to a glass of water, quickly drinking it down; and shorty after she has emptied the glass, the dinner rush starts, and while it is stressful and a lot of work again, Dinah has never been happier to have landed this job than she is this very evening, knowing Helena is just a few feet away and will be right there once her shift is over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Making out in the kitchen, tsk tsk XD


	14. Kitchen Misuse

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is smut, so NSFW. XD

Dating Helena, Dinah reflects several weeks after their first dates, is one of the best experiences she has in this area that she can remember; it’s strangely easy to be with Helena, they just seem to  _ click _ in a special sort of way which makes their relationship a happy one, and even though they work together, they can’t get enough of each other, going out when they don’t have to work or spending time at their respective homes.

Whenever they’re staying at the Bertinelli home, Helena cooks for her, and only for her, she learns all of Dinah’s favourite foods and makes them for her, sometimes putting the sort of creative spin on them which make her such a good cook and which leaves Dinah groaning whenever she takes the first bite, the way Helena always just looks so happy when Dinah enjoys something she has made only making it taste better.

“I’m starting to feel bad, you know”, Dinah says one evening, when everyone has left the restaurant and it’s just Helena and her, keeping the other woman company as Helena gets done with cleaning the place, “you cook for me all the time, and I haven’t cooked for you once.”

“But I love cooking for you”, Helena points out, making her smile a bit, “I mean, I love cooking in general, but I especially love cooking for you.”

“And I love eating what you cook for me”, Dinah tells her, earning a happy smile, “but I should still return the favour some time soon. Even though I’m a bit worried you might hate it, I mean, you are an amazing chef and I’m… not.”

“We can cook something together if you like”, Helena suggests in response, figuring this might be a good compromise, Dinah smiling as well at the idea and nodding her agreement; glad that her idea has been well received, Helena smiles back at her, then gets done with the last bit of cleaning, satisfied when she drops the rag she’d used into the sink.

“There”, she says, turning to face Dinah again, “all done.”

“Good”, Dinah replies, taking a step closer to her, “that means I can do this.”

She closes the small gap which is left between them and kisses Helena, the taller woman kissing her back at once; the kiss grows heated quite fast, one of Helena’s hands moving to Dinah’s backside and giving a rather firm squeeze, Dinah sighing into her mouth in response, clearly enjoying herself.

She pulls Helena even closer, until they are pressed against each other, and brings up her thigh, Helena groaning into the kiss when she feels the pressure between her legs; this isn’t the first time they do more than making out, but so far, these activities have happened in the bedroom only, and Helena certainly hasn’t expected it to happen in the kitchen of the family restaurant. 

_ You just cleaned this place _ , she randomly thinks to herself, but then Dinah raises her thigh again, and all rational thought flees Helena’s mind; she grunts into Dinah’s mouth, then pulls back from the kiss - so she can grasp her around the waist, lift her up and sit her down on the nearest flat surface, Dinah smirking up at her as she is very aware of where this will lead.

She brings her legs up and wraps them around Helena’s waist, using that hold to pull her closer; and then, they are kissing again, and she feels the chef’s hands glide beneath her shirt, a low groan escaping her when Helena’s thumb brushes one of her nipples, the small touch sending a flash of heat right into her core.

Pulling back from the kiss, Helena moves to kiss her throat instead, having learned fairly quickly that this is one of Dinah’s more sensitive areas; and as she runs her tongue over the heated skin and makes Dinah moan, she quickly unbuttons the other woman’s blouse, sliding it down her arms, Dinah pulling her up for another kiss moments later.

With the shirt gone, Helena has easy access to Dinah’s bra, and that is removed rather quickly, as well; and shortly after that, she moves to unbutton the other woman’s pants, only for Dinah to pull back from the kiss and shaking her head, Helena giving her a confused look, smirking though when Dinah speaks up and explains.

“I’m not gonna end up naked while you’re fully dressed”, she tells the chef, “that’s just not fair.”

Helena responds by unbuttoning her jacket with surprising speed and tossing it aside, Dinah raising her brows in appreciation as this gives her a good look at the taller woman’s arms, said view only improving when Dinah takes holds of Helena’s sleeveless shirt and pulls it up over her head, putting them at the same level of undress.

“There we go”, Dinah comments, smiling as she pulls Helena closer again, “much better.”

Helena has a moment for a smile of her own, then Dinah is kissing her again, and she remembers what she has been about to do when Dinah has stopped her; this time, she gets to undo the other woman’s pants, and she goes down on her knees as she pulls them down, the way Dinah’s breath hitches at the sight telling Helena that this clearly does something to her.

Her plan has been to get back up once the pants are gone, but judging from how Dinah is looking at her, staying right there might be a better idea; she smirks up at the other woman as she tucks at her thong, Dinah raising her hips at once, just enough so Helena can pull it down.

“Maybe I shouldn’t find this as hot as I do”, Dinah admits, the way she looks at Helena making the chef smirk slightly; she shrugs, then reassures Dinah that this can remain their little secret - before she moves forward, Dinah moaning a second later as the taller woman’s tongue runs over her folds.

She grasps the edge of the counter she is sitting on with one hand while the other moves to Helena’s hair, another moan coming from her as Helena increases her efforts, spurred on by her reaction; Dinah still has a moment to be glad they are truly alone at the restaurant, she really doesn’t want anyone to walk in on  _ this _ , then Helena tries even harder, and for a while, Dinah loses the ability to think coherent thoughts.

By now, Helena knows what she likes, and makes ample use of that knowledge, using her tongue and her fingers for the best possible result; and it doesn’t take long until Dinah’s head drops back in her neck and she has to grit her teeth to keep herself from screaming, her fingers tightening in Helena’s hair as she comes, the chef slowing down her efforts in response, until she stops and pulls back, looking somewhat smug as Dinah pants and tries to regain her composure.

“Don’t look so smug”, she manages once her breathing slows down again, earning another smirk from Helena, “cause now it’s my turn.”

She slides off the counter, not caring anymore that she’s naked and Helena is not, and kisses her deeply as she turns them both so that Helena ends up with her back against the counter; and just like Dinah, Helena is glad that no one else is here anymore when Dinah’s hand slides between her legs, she never would have thought she’d do  _ this _ in in the kitchen, but she really can’t say that she minds, what Dinah is doing feels much too good, a low moan escaping her when she moves her fingers  _ just so _ .

This might be quite the misuse of the kitchen, Helena thinks to herself, but it’s definitely worth it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now Helena might have to clean again... XD


	15. Epilogue

Helena and Dinah have been dating for a few months when Dinah’s birthday approaches, and Helena tells her to meet her at the restaurant for it, on the one day of the week they are officially closed; she also tells her to bring her mother and any friends she’d like to invite, and so, she shows up at the agreed upon time with a bunch of people, Pino already waiting and letting them in when they arrive at the front door.

Just like the first time she has been here, Dinah can hear the clattering of pots and pans from the kitchen, and she smiles to herself, touched by how much hard work this family is willing to put into her birthday; Pino greets them all happily and leads them to where they have pushed together tables to create one big one, asking them to sit down and handing out menus, Dinah surprised and touched yet again to see that it’s not the regular menu of Bertinelli’s, but one which consists solely of her favourite dishes.

“How am I supposed to choose anything from that”, Dinah asks the young man with a raised eyebrow, “I love all of this!”

“I told Helena the same thing”, Pino tells her, smirking while Dinah shakes her head, her mother grinning as well at this unique sort of problem, “but she said you’d find something for sure.”

As if on cue, Helena comes out of the kitchen, smiling as she makes her way to the table; she knows most of the people sitting there, having met several of them in the time Dinah and she have been together, and she nods Hello to them before she greets Dinah with a short, but gentle kiss, grinning when she asks her if she likes the special menu afterwards.

“Of course I do”, Dinah tells her, smiling as well, for a moment forgetting about the people around them as she’s fully focused on Helena, “I have no idea how to choose what I want, you put all my favourite meals on there. You’re spoiling me.”

“Well, you know I love spoiling you”, Helena solemnly says, blushing a bit at the “awwww” Dinah’s mother lets out, “and you know I love cooking for you, soooo…”

“One of the advantages of dating an Italian chef, I imagine”, Renee comments, Dinah smirking and shrugging while Helena nods her agreement, “say, Helena, you don’t happen to have an older sister? Or a single aunt?”

“Sorry”, Helena replies with a small laugh, “I don’t, but I’ll let you know in case one of my aunts does become available.”   


“Good woman”, Renee says, making Helena snicker again; then, she leans in for another brief kiss before she tells Dinah she has to get back to work and that she’ll join them later, Dinah smiling and nodding as she lets her know she’s looking forward to it.

“Man, you’re lucky”, one of her friends comments as Helena makes her way back to the kitchen, “you know what my ex got me for my birthday? A coupon for a free burger, and I don’t even like the place he got it for. One of the reasons why he is now my ex.”

“I really am”, Dinah can only agree, smiling to herself as she looks at the menu again, “but I’m telling you, dating such an amazing chef is quite dangerous for the waistline, she cooks such amazing meals for me all the time.”

“Go ahead, make me jealous”, her friend sighs, and Dinah laughs; then, Pino comes over again to ask if they have chosen what they want to eat, taking their orders afterwards and reassuring them all they won’t have to wait long.

Dinah manages to settle on one of the dishes as well, one of the first meals Helena has ever made for her after having found out she likes it, she remembers; the food is indeed brought quickly, and it’s delicious, as everything Helena makes is, the pleased noises people let out around the table as they eat telling Dinah they feel the same.

Shortly after the last dish has been served, Helena comes to join them, with a plate of her own, and Dinah is happy she does, she would have felt bad if her girlfriend hadn’t eaten with them on her birthday; the woman sitting next to her quickly moves to another seat when she sees Helena approach, and she’s happy to see take the seat, smiling at Dinah once she’s gotten comfortable.

“Like the food?” she then asks, Dinah nodding at once, but her answer shouldn’t come as a surprise, she figures, so far, Helena never has made anything which hasn’t tasted great; it still makes the chef smile happily, and they share a gentle kiss before focusing on the food again, Dinah entertaining her friends with the story of the asshole guest who’d insulted her.

“You should have seen it”, she says while Helena blushes a bit, knowing which part of the story comes next, “he called me an illiterate cow, and suddenly Helena comes rushing out of the kitchen and yells at him and throws him out. It was amazing.”

“Wait, wait, wait”, one of her friends throws in, looking at Helena with raised brows, “this was  _ before  _ you guys started dating, right. And you didn’t figure out back then already she likes you?”

“Well, it made me figure out I like her”, Dinah defends herself, Helena smiling a bit, “but I thought she was just being nice.”

She shrugs at the look of disbelief her friends give her for that, then adds that she has asked Helena out shortly after that event, in an attempt to defend herself; and thankfully, the topic is changed from how oblivious she has been to something less embarrassing, several people complimenting Helena on her cooking and asking questions about the restaurant she’s happy to answer.

After everyone has finished eating, the tables are moved again to create a sort of impromptu dancefloor in the middle of the restaurant, and Pino declares the bar open, acting as the barkeep; he puts on some music, and people spread out, talking and having fun and drinks, Helena and Dinah ending up standing at the bar, the chef smiling at her girlfriend as they clink their glasses together.

“Good birthday?” Helena then asks, smiling when Dinah nods at once; she takes a step closer to the chef and wraps her free arm around her, smiling up at her, taking a sip of her drink before she replies, her words making Helena’s smile widen.

“Very good”, she tells her, “one of the best, actually. Thank you for doing all this, it really means a lot to me.”

“I’m happy you like it”, Helena lets her know, earning another smile; Dinah pulls her in for a gentle kiss, then lets out a content sigh as she looks around the restaurant, taking in her friends and family before her gaze returns to Helena, the way the taller woman immediately smiles when their eyes meet warming up her heart.

“You know”, she states, putting her glass down so she can wrap both arms around Helena, “applying for this job here was the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m really glad things worked out this way.”

“Me too”, Helena nods at once, then blushes, Dinah not quite sure why for a moment, but before she can ask, the taller woman continues, voice soft now, making sure no one but Dinah hears her, “I’m really happy, you… you make me really happy and I love you.”

She rushes the words out awkwardly, it’s the first time she says them and Dinah can tell she is nervous, perhaps worried it’s too soon or not the right moment; smiling up at her, Dinah easily calms her down by reaching up and cupping her jaw, pulling her in for another kiss, once again unaware of the people around them when they pull apart again and their eyes meet.

“And I love you”, she lets her know, the smile Helena gives her in response so happy and bright it makes her tingly all over; she smiles back at her, then pulls her in for another kiss, feeling happy and content, knowing things will only keep being good for them in the future they will share.

Applying for this job, Dinah reflects as Helena pulls her closer, truly was the best decision she’s ever made.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And it's done :D I enjoyed writing this and I hope you enjoyed reading it :D Stay tuned for a new one coming soon :D


End file.
